 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2009) |
El Centro, California | |
|---|---|
| City of El Centro | |
  Top: U.S. Post Office; Bottom: Imperial County Superior Courthouse | |
 Seal | |
 Location of El Centro in Imperial County, California | |
  El Centro Location in the United States  El Centro El Centro (California)  El Centro El Centro (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 32°48′N 115°34′W / 32.800°N 115.567°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Imperial |
| Incorporated | April 16, 1908[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sylvia Marroquin[2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.86 sq mi (30.72 km2) |
| • Land | 11.84 sq mi (30.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) 0.16% |
| Elevation | −42 ft (−12 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 44,322 |
| • Density | 3,722.26/sq mi (1,437.12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 92243-92244 |
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-21782 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1656501, 2410409 |
| Website | www |
El Centro (Spanish for "The Center") is a city and county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the most populous city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also the most populous U.S. city to lie entirely below sea level (−42 feet or −13 meters).[citation needed] The city, located in southeastern California, is 113 miles (182 km) from San Diego and less than 20 miles (32 km) from the Mexican city of Mexicali.
The city was founded in 1906 by W. F. Holt and C.A. Barker, who purchased the land on which El Centro was eventually built for about $40 per acre ($100 per hectare) and invested $100,000 ($3,400,000 in 2023 dollars[5]) in improvements. The modern city is home to retail, transportation, wholesale, and agricultural industries. There are also two international border crossings nearby for commercial and noncommercial vehicles. El Centro's census population as of 2020 was 44,322, up from 42,598 at the 2010 Census.
- ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ^ "El Centro City Council". City of El Centro. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ "El Centro". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.